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Tuesday, August 30

hooray hurrah, it's a give away...

however before we get on with it, just a little note to say i will not be around for a few days as i am a busy bee beavering away on...

1: make lots of goodies to take to The Creative Connection where Janine, myself and the book will have a stall in september.

2: spring clean my blog in late summer with the help of my friend Marjan. so things may look a bit odd over the coming few days and despite the worry of it all disappearing into cyber space, it is something i have been wishing to do for a while.

3: my lads need to get organized for school next week, this would mean unpacking their back packs from mid June, removing old mouldy sarnies and the likes. then the dreaded shopping for school supplies

.

4: putting sweeties on my shop shelves, this will take a few days but i am determined to get photos done and listings written.

5: doing Gladys (our airstream trailer) up. yes at last i will no longer fear a visit from the department of trailer abuse. this past sunday, me and my lads of three ('cause that is what my shed is now, me and my lads of three, don't you like that, has a nice sound about it doesn't it? "why yes it does" i hear you agree). so me and my lads of three, we've been patching old Gladys up with sheets of metal and rivets to stop the rain coming in and one coat of duck egg blue has been applied to her inners. we are now turning our attention to her floor. oh happy days

so, that being all said, shall we just get on with the give away?

"blimey Tif, we thought you would never get there"

yes, i can see your point

so this little give away is probably the most spiffily ever give away to me, for i will be giving away a copy of my book. when Janine sent me two last week i immediately thought "one for me and one for you"

along with the book (and signed if you would like a bit of my scribbling in it), i will also be giving away one of the original bits of embroidery i made for the book. so the winner will have a book and a bit of dottie angel stitchery to go with it.

if you wish to enter this little give away then you will have to answer this question...

what little critter or pet would you love to care for and what would you call them?

now this is where you get to pop on your imagination caps and dream big or small. forget your allergies, the fact your nest is rented or you work all day. forget about them being domesticated or not, rare old critters or common as can be. does not matter, for one small moment you can picture that elephant in your yard or the snake in your bath tub.

so for example if it was me entering, i would say

"oh i would love a goat, my goat would be called PIP, but i would not wish for PIP to be lonely so i would be sure to have another goat called PIP'S FRIEND. i would go out into my yard and spend quality time with PIP and PIP'S FRIEND so they knew they were loved. on rainy days i would invite PIP and PIP'S FRIEND in for a cup of tea and a bit of telly watching"

i will not go on anymore because actually i now realize i could write a short story on PIP and PIP'S FRIEND which is not the point of today, no sirree, the point of today is you and your story.

so let us just write down the nitty gritty in easy points

NITTY GRITTY

1: leave a comment or email me tif@dottieangel.com with the sort of lovely pet you would like to have as a friend and their name.

2: be sure to have a way that i can contact you, either leave an email address in your comment or be sure it links to a blog

3: me and my lads of three will choose the winner and announce them and their imaginary pet on tuesday 6th September when i return to my shiny place after my list of 'to dos' is done.

4: do not panic if you do not see your comment published, this could be a number of things, one: you may not have answered the question and therefore do not qualify. two: i will be checking comments once a day so i may not have got to yours and published it just yet. 3: when i am spring cleaning my blog later this week everything disappears into cyber space.

of course i hope number 3 does not happen, so i am keeping both my fingers and toes crossed until the spring cleaning is over

so there we have it dearest readers, i hope you will enjoy dusting off your imagination caps, i know i have and now i am off to dream about PIP and PIP'S FRIEND whilst i tackle the mountains of neglected laundry which comes of living with 'just me and my lads of three'

she is thanking you for your 'billy-no-mates' kindness and thinking how lovely, he (she) will be forever remembered on the front cover of her book ~ Tif

381 comments:

Critter???Critter!!!I'd dearly love a wee starling to keep in the kitchen. I'd probably call her Pleiades. If I can't have a starling the answer is a musk ox named Eskimo. Obviously. I'd saddle it and we'd gallop the tundra together.

I would LOVE to someday have a horse (okay maybe two), and of course would call the first one Shadowfax, after 'the master of the horses' from Lord of the Rings :) and the other Breggo, also from LoTR...every pet I have *has* to be named after a character in a movie...it's a self-imposed rule....I had two dogs named Atreyu and Arjax after the characters in The Never-Ending Story :)Sarah Msslamast@gmail.com

I would have a Capybara. His name would be Nigel (because that's a sensible name for the world's largest rodent, right?).

Nigel and I would go everywhere together. He would have a skateboard that I can push him round on when he gets tired of walking. He will be friends with the chickens (when I get them, along with a house) and they'll all sit in the sun together and, when it's warm, I'll get him a paddling pool to play in.

At night Nigel will curl up in a crocheted teepee which has fairy lights strung inside. He's not too keen on the dark. My cat Monty will sit with him.

Hi Tif,I think my dream pet would be a donkey, I just love them, and I think I would call him Dandelion. I'd spend all day stroking his ears and feeding him carrots while he rubbed his head against the fence in his field, whilst I look out to the Dorset sea coast beyond, sunshine smiling down... (N.B. Do not have aforesaid donkey or Dorset small holding just yet!)Would very much love to win your book and Dottie Angel goody, thank you.Hen x

If your lovely giveaway is open to international readers I would very much like to enter. If not, well, I hope you like my imaginary pet anyway.

I would love a dragon, just a little one because I'm not very tall, with a long tail and strong wings. We could fly all over Wales during the day and cuddle up in front of the fire at night. I would call him Ddraig Goch, which means red dragon (even if he is blue), or maybe even cwtch which means cuddle. I would watch the light sparkle off his scales as often as possible as we flew about the land, singing as loudly and off key as possible.

In Canada, we have commercials that feature a house hippo. A teeny, tiny little hippo the size of a large rat, that only comes out at night and eats the crumbs of peanut butter toast. I would like one of those, please, and I would name him/her (I'm not fussy) "Peanut" and keep him/her safe and cozy in my pocket.

What a most exciting prize! If I could pick a pet, I might have to go for a dragon, and keep him in my woodshed (like in the Brian Patten poem). I don't actually have a woodshed, but still. I think, in honour of the poem, I would have to call him Brian. Laura x

i have always wanted an english bulldog. i would name her ulga and adorn her w/ a pretty pink silk bow. sort of a "what what" to all the girls with lap dogs + puppy sweaters and dog purses. :) my only hesitation? rumor is dogs and their owners begin to resemble each other. will i be jowls mcghee?

OH gosh what a givaway! I would sertainly love to have a copy with your scribbling in it! My pet:I would like to have a giraffe-girl, and her name should be Luna. She would live in my house, and we would be the bestest of friends. Every evenig before she get to bed(the long spesial-made..) I would hold around her neck an look into those big, beutiful eyes and tell her; I love my Luna. Of course I had to remove the top floor in my house, and maybe the roof as well, so she could grow so tall, that she could reach to the moon.

if i could have any animal as a pet, i would choose an orangutan. i have been in love with these creatures for years, and finally got to see one in "real life" a few years ago. i would name him "charlie", because that just seems like a sweet name to me. :)

I would love to have a panda called Pablo. As they are endangered I would help it to find a girlfriend using online dating websites, give it a panda makeover and teach it how to impress the ladies , thus hopefully helping to increase the panda population.

I want a corgi. A welsh corgi. His name would be Giles and he would have the personality of a spritely grandpappy. He would keep me company in the garden, take my husband for walks, make hilarious attempts at swimming and befriend birds. We would chuckle at his affinity for porridge with garlic, and he would keep my feet warm when I insist on eating my breakfast on the porch even in winter. :)

I live in the Netherlands, so I do not know if I can participate in this contest... But I try it, because the book seems so fun and inspirational! (: Now I can tell about my favorite fantasy animal... I can start thinking stories about giraffes in my garden or sharks in my bathtub, but there is only one animal that I most love. I have my most sweet, cute and cheerful animal already in the house! It's a black dwarf rabbit and he's only a few months old! It's very funny, because his name is Pip, just like your goat! I'm totally in love with Pip, he's so very sweet and enthusiastic! He jumps on my lap and runs through his cage. When I go to sleep, I give him a little kiss. Pip is Pip, that's why I love him so much!My blog is: www.itsmeleonie.blogspot.comEvery day I take a look on your blog, because it's just so inspirational for me. I love the crochet, embroidery and handmade things. I wish you much success and inspiration, keep it up! (:

i would love a sheep for my backyard. with the disposition, laziness, and sassiness of cat. To grow up and be our friend and donate it's wool to us for our winter sweaters and hats. His name would be Sharpie and we'd all laugh at the irony because he is in fact not sharp at all, but soft as can be. He'd say it was his mind that was sharp.

Oh what fun! I already have a bit of a menagerie, what with the dogs, cats, chickens and ducks, but I very badly want an alpaca or two. While visiting a nearby alpaca farm for shearing day I met the cutest grey boy alpaca, his fleece was just dreamy. I think I would name him Oliver, or maybe Samwell. He was a tiny thing, only 50 pounds, so I could just imagine him living on my front porch. I could sit in my rocking chair, and he would be right at eye level, and I could pet his soft, soft coat.

If I could I would have a baby penguin. He would be fluffy and fuzzie and grey. He would only cry every so often. And when he did it would be the cutest little sound you ever heard. He would waddle and wobble and slip and slide. He would like to hang out in the refrigerator and we would go to the beach where he would play in the shallow water. At night he would sit with me on the couch while I stitched the binding on a quilt just for him and play peekaboo over the edge of the quilt while his eyes got sleepy and tired. On rainy days he would splash in the puddles in bright orange rainboots and waddle down the street under a big blue umbrella. He would be brave, but not to brave. And understand things like perfect cookies to have with orange tea or how pleasant it is when all the words on a page line up just so. On sunny days he would ride in a basket on the front of my bicycle. We would pick lupine together and count the stars as it got dark down by the creek.

{wow, what a great little writting prompt... I think I could end up with a short story too.}

{p.s. much and many congratulations on your most beautiful looking of books! With just the little bits I've seen it looks like it captures Dottie Angel so well.}

can't believe that i am first!!!love love love this book and would so love to have a piece of your embroidered goodness...fingers crossed...i would get a teeny tiny puppy that would stay teeny tiny and if it was a boy i would name him sue...xox

A little house trained bunny, perhaps a spunky English spot to playfully frisk about. Of course there are times when you just need a cuddle, so I would also like a soft little lap bunny like an incredibly soft mini Rex.

Dearest Tif-ity Dottie Angel, If I had a pet...If I had a pet I would want to have a mama hedgehog and I'd name her Gertrude, and I would hope that Mama Gertrude would have three little hedgehog babies that followed her around in a sweet little line behind her. Bitty baby hedgehogs would help Mama Gertrude sniffle and snuff out mushrooms and truffles in the forest with their quivering pink noses (for I envision them with a keen sense of smell and the ability to help me find lovely forest edibles for our dinner). Although Mama Gertrude is not the kind of pet that likes to cuddle, she would appreciate the little home I would build her in the corner of my yard with the colorful triangle bunting fluttering above the doorway, and she and her bitty babies would come out and watch whilst I hang my linens and unmentionables on the line to dry. And often she would raise her bushy eyebrows at me in 'hello,' for Mama Gertrude is a strong and independent type and isn't often sentimental, and her and I would think in our hearts that it is a wonderful thing to support each other and our bitty babies in quiet friendship in this wide world we live in.

Thank you for sharing your musing and wanderings and heartfelt love of granny goodness with the world!

pick me, pick me! although being the first to comment, i don't know if i'll be that lucky. anyhoo - no doubt a hedgehog and i would name him pickles. seeing that i already manage a flock of hens, an unruly rooster, and 2 fluff balls (small dogs) i think he/she would fit right in. may have to pry me off the floor, but the more the merrier!

I would have 2 red squirrels....one a boy called Mr. Humphreys and a girl named Mrs. Slocome. I would have a beautiful blue house on my biggest tree in the backyard with a squirrel feeder full of nuts and cookies. At the bottom of the tree would be a sign that reads...."Are you free?". Maybe they would have lil squirrel babies in the future. Or maybe they would just live out their days in their cozy home together, just the 2 of them.

what a wonderful giveaway! i would absolutely LOVE to win! if i had an imaginary pet, i think i would like to have a little bluebird that rests on my hand. you know, like all the Disney princesses seem to have. A beautiful little bluebird, always singing a sweet song to me, as I go around my house doing the laundry and feeding the children... I think that Melody (that's her name, of course) and her lovely melodies would brighten my days and lighten my load. :)lora (eagerhands@gmail.com)

Oh I would most certainly have a meerkat and her name (for yes my meerkat would be a she) would be Blandine Du Bois.

At the beginning of Spring we were out cycling early one morning (that being me and my bike, Maud), across the Pevensey Marshes, and I was quite sure I saw the shape of a meerkat parting the reeds on the side of the road and peering through.

However, my lovely husband assures me that regretfully no, there are no wild meerkats in England and I must have been hallucinating (or mistakenly thought a nosy old squirrel was a meerkat.)

Nevertheless I am sure I am meant to have a meerkat - possibly of aristocratic French descent.

She would travel with me on my adventures and I would crochet her a little blanket to put in my bicycle basket (even though so far my crochet attempts are like soggy scrambled eggs) and sew some bunting too, and make it all toasty-cozy for Blandine.

what lovely times for you and your lads of three...busy is better than bored! i always get such a kick & a grin out of your blog, your verbage is a hoot AND so kind of you to offer a giveaway of your book adventures, beautifully intriguing indeed! my critter would be a hawk OR an owl, i guess that would make her a howl. so wisely regal & strongly confident & independent & well able to fulfill all opportunities AND witty. her name is esther. i am amazed by the intelligence & bravery of women of the Bible. blest be :)

I would just fall over if I won this. I would love to win. I am planning on ordering when I get a job.I have a little giraffee that isn't so little and his name is Fred. Fred, I have no idea who named him that, but he looks like a Fred. He rides around in my little green Bug with his head out the sun roof. He wears some big red sun glasses and a little hat that ties under his chin. He likes to turn his head around and look at people. When rude people honk at his Grammy driver he sticks his long tongue out at them. He is a very good boy. He sleeps in the house where there is a whole in the roof. He likes to play with is Yorkie sister and his Springer Spaniel brother. They look up to him. This is my story and I am sticking to it.

I would love to have a little squinny (chipmunk as we called them on the coast) as a pet, though I'm not sure what I would call him as I favor people names for pets. Maybe Finn or Pete. More importantly, I am SO excited that you are going to be at The Creative Connection. I can't wait to meet you. Hopefully you will have copies of your book for sale there?

I am dreaming of the day, very soon I hope, when my black miniature schnauzer comes to live with me. He will be called Bobby, or she will be called Daisy, it all depends, upon whether he be a he, or she be a she, you see. Thank you for this chance to share this goodness with my near-future little dog.

Oh, i really want to have the King of Animals in my garden; mr. LionAnd when i wake up i would sneak into the garden where mr. Lion is just waking up...he would yawn a bit with is giant mouth to say 'goodmorning lovely'...then i would cuddle him and put my face to his soft manes...looking at him would give me that strong feeling every day...wroooaahh!!.

If I could have a new animal friend (to live and cuddle with my bunny-friend waffles) it would be a squirrel. And he could run around and do cute squirrel things, and I would call him Sebastian, because he would be a dignified squirrel, who wears an ascot in my imagination.

my best friend pet would be a sweet pink pig. I'd build her a white picket fence in my big back yard. she'd have a pit of mud to roll about in, but would have the sense to clean herself off in the sprinkler that waters the garden. she'd learn to only eat the vegetables that fell off the vine and to ground, but occasionally help herself to some sweet cherry tomatoes that i wouldn't mind sharing with her. Her name would be Elizabeth. I'd crochet her shawls in the winter and we'd go on walks in my quiet little town. I might even read to her on summer nights and she'd let me nap with my head on her bristly belly. Sweetly singing me to sleep with her endearing pig grunts. She'd have a bed upon the back porch and would love the kittens that have made my yard their home. she'd live there forever.

Oh wow, this is the best giveaway!! i would love a signed book and gorgeous stitchery.

If i could choose a pet it would be a warm cuddly lamb, that would of course stay lamb sized. I love everything about them - they have the cutest faces and are so warm to cuddle. I remember when i was a little girl, i got to hold one and it was love from then on!! I think i'd have a girl (seeing as i'm the only girl in an all boy family) called Poppy(my fave girl name and flower) Pops for short.

Thank you so much for letting us have the chance to win this fantastic prize!! xxxxx

First of all, I love your blog and I am in the midst of making my own ordinarily extraordinary blanket. thank you so much for sharing the how-to. Okay, so I know this sounds silly, but I have always wanted to have a baby black bear for a pet. I would cuddle it and love it and be a great Momma Bear!thanks, Tif!

I do lovely bunny rabbits and have had two beautiful girls but to take this a bit further I think I would like a hare! They do have gorgeous long ears, I would call him Willow which I think is a perfect name for a hare. :)

If I didn't already have chickens, I would definately say chickens. My 7 silly chickens bring me such joy everyday. Since I already have 7 chickens, I would love to have 2 fluffy sheep- one black & one white. As for their names, that's a tough one...maybe Maa & Paa?

I want a hedgehog! It is illegal to have a hedgehog in my particular state, so that is exactly what I long for, being a contrary sort of person. Very creatively, his name would Hedgie and he would have a pal named Virgil (because I like the name). There might even be girl hedgehogs somewhere about named Violet and Rose. Thanks for the giveaway!

oh my, isn't this a lovely opportunity! I would be delighted to own your book, and even more delighted, smitten really, to own a bit of dottie angel stitchery!

To answer the question, I would love to have a Koala pal, like the furry friends from down under. I would want to have a wee baby koala. Wouldn't that be darling?? His name would be Basil, like the herb, because I love Basil so. I would call him Baz for short, because every baby Koala deserves a nickname. Baz, like all baby koalas, would likely enjoy traveling about on my back... but you see, I have 2 little ones all my own, so it would not be fair to give Baz all the piggy back rides. I would also have Basil's mother Koala to keep us all company, and give Baz all the piggy back rides his little koala heart desires. Her name would be Mum. I would have my dear husband build them a tree house in our backyard, and we would join them in their tree house for story time and crafts. We would have a special spot for them at our table for meal time.

Yes, Basil & Mum would make life a lot brighter, with their furriness, and charming looks. I've always wanted a Koala.... Koala bear hugs all around!

Well, if I wasn't allergic, I would love to have a dog. A fox terrier (is that the correct English word for it?) would be nice, well actually any kind of terrier would do, especially ones with a bit of ruffled hair on top of their head. And then I would call it Spunky (and risking to become the laughing stock here, I'm afraid). :o)

Well I know what mine would be. I would live in a toadstool house and would drink tea out of acorn cups and there would be pink fluffy bunnies hopping around on the garden outside (their tails would be white - of course). My pet would be a bluebird and her name would be Darling. She would help around the house by flying around and putting up the bunting when I can't reach. She will sit on my shoulder and sing in the most splendid fashion making my heart sing. She will be free to fly in the wind whenever she pleases - although I would like her to come back to see me. She would also be fabulous helping to peg out my washing on the line. But the best and by no means least would be that she would not SH*T anywhere as she is a mythical creature and does not need to participate in such activities.

Will that do - have I won.

I got very carried away there. BTW I do always say I wished I live in a toadstool, drink tea and had pink bunnies especially when there are bad things going on in the world.

If I was to have a loverly pet, I suppose maybe it would be a big 'ol sea turtle, I'm not really sure how that would work....perhaps I would live in a sweet little cottage on the beach, and each morning she would come greet me, for a morning cup of coffee, and we might take a walk on the beach.....I wonder if you can teach a turtle to fetch.....I would have raised her from a teeny tiny hatchling of course, have you seen how adorable a baby sea turtle is.....blindly blundering towards the sea.....hopeing to not get nabbed by a bird or what not.....so cute (the turtle, not the bird of course) My big sea turtle would be named Myrtle....and I know it's sort of cheez ball to have the name rhyme, but I just love that name. Plus I am a little bit goofy like that.

I have been waiting for years to get chickens, 3 is a nice number. Their names are going to be Bernie, Martha and Clara. I husbands thinks we need to wait until we live in the country, but I'm starting to think that this will never happen. I love seeing all of your chickens, it makes me want them even more. Congratulations on the book!

a horsie. for me to ride. in the field behind my house and to the library to get books. he's a boy horse. who likes to be read to at night before he goes to bed. that's why i need the book. and why we go to the library.

I would love to win...I would love to have a little pony.. and I would call him Lovely. Just because everyone loves to be called lovely, don't they?thks for the chance, and congrats on your new book! hugs to youbonitarose

My choice is not the most adventurous, but today I saw two Budgies called Kate and William in my local pet shop. They were very sweet and kept kissing each other and hopping about. They would be my choice of pets - I think with warring kitties and grumpy chooks, a couple of kissing birds would bring a bit of extra love to join our clan. Can't wait to see your lovely book - many congratulations!xx

I would love a skunk as a pet because......when I was younger I had a friend who had one. Her father was an animal trainer and they had all kinds of animals around the house but I loved that skunk. It was de-skunked...thingies with scent removed...and it was so cuddly. It's fur was very soft and clean. It used to walk on a leash too just like a dog. I would call my skunk Flower if it's a girl and Butch if it's a boy:)

I would adopt my own burrowing owl and name the little puff ball Mr. Cornelius Hoot, or "Hoot" for short. He could be found in my little library, tucked behind the tomes, his very keen face and bright yellow eyes peeking in between the crafty reference books, dusty college textbooks, and the never-used dictionary. At night he would pop out the window and have his adventures afield, gobbling up insects and the like.

My pet would be a dutch rabbit, named Holly of course...I would have the backyard landscaped just for her, stepping stones, a mossy cottage and more carrots than she would know what to do with and a petite garden of course filled with edible flowers fit for a tea party, but I would also pair her with a friend or potential mate and then I would have a delightful beatrix potter style rabbit family! Have a great week! Xoxoxo ~Ashley 1942charm.blogspot.com

I highly covet a signed book, so this is my first comment left after being a fan for over a year. I have 3 children 5 and under, and so the critter I would most love to have is a small, modest turtle (yes, my imagination is hanging on the clothesline next to the diapers) . One I can look at and point to with the baby and say "oh--look!", one that will be most likely named "Ariel", one that won't outrun me, and I can turn out the light in its little home at night, pat it on the shell and say "well done you". Yes, a turtle will be my perfectly loved critter. Krista VerBeekDenver, CO

We do actually have an imaginary pet that is already a big part of our lives. It's a scruffy rescue dog by the name of Sherlock whom we will get at some unspecified time in the future and will choose us instead of the other way around. Sherlock is part of the family and we comment on how this and that would be a nice place to bring Sherlock when we do get him / her. If we see a dog whilst we are out, my little boy asks if that is what Sherlock will look like. And whilst I'm imagining that we do have Sherlock living with us, I may as well throw in a few chickens, a goat and a pig. I don't see why we can't have them as well, although I haven't named them yet. Good luck with the spring clean

Hi Tif,well, my pets of choice would be two chickens...we live in a rented apartment here in switzerland, so no chickens allowed....but, if I could, two would be strolling around our garden (which by the way would be much bigger, I can still dream right?) and their names would be Chicken and Kip (meaning chicken, ofcourse and chicken but in Dutch, since we are from Amsterdam) so we can speak to them in english and in dutch, like my girls do, school in english, dutch at home. Anyway, love this give away, and if I don't win, where can I buy your book? (And thanks for making me smile)Maureen xx

My critter would not be little at all, but a big, loyal German Shepherd. I would name her Princess Buttercup, because I would love to imagine telling an intruder "you'd better leave or I will sic Princess Buttercup on you." I think shepherds are great dogs, and I'd love to run with Princess Buttercup three times a day, and take her to all the doggie playgroup meetups at the local park. I don't think I'd dress her in human clothing, but I can picture her wearing a yellow bandana on days that she feels like dressing up. Best wishes on your new book! supermergentroidgal at gmail dot com :-)

Hi Dottie Angel and the Lads of Three,I would have a white duck with an orange beak and I would call her Clementine. She would be happy widdle-waddling about in my garden eating the bugs off my veggies and would follow me around helping keep my lads of three in line. She would splishety-splash in a pool I would set up in my lounge room (no splishety-splashety mess in this day dream) and then would snuggle down in a special basket beside me made with love and a small bit of Dottie Angel stichery.My email is annawilliams@y7mail.com and thanks for the opportunity

My dream pet? A hedgehog. For sure. I would call him Mr Snuggly, you know, to help uplift his spirits a bit, since he's so used to getting called prickly!When I cook dinner, I would make him a little something too. A tiny rose of broccoli, for example, or a teeny tiny carrot for him to munch on.And ofcourse I would crochet a lovely warm wooly thingy for him to snuggle up in, because ofcourse, he is after all Mr Snuggly!xo,wink

I always wanted a dog...from childhood. My dream grew--as I grew into dogless adulthood-- into a clearly pictured yellow Labrador retriever. I got a husband, who is a bit of a pet himself, but not very furry, and together we dreamt of that dog. We decided we would name her Tampopo, which is Japanese for dandelion. She materialized in her pale yellow puppy glory when we lived in the magical Pacific Northwest, where everyone welcomes dogs everywhere, even in apartments. She is with me still, 12 years and many moves later, my dream dog, Tampopo. I actually can't bear to dream of a pet beyond her--despite loving chickens and goats and dogs in general...she is my dream come true.

If we are being realistic, I would like a puppy and I would name him/her Pickle because I like pickles. However, if we are being UN-realistic, I would like a chimpanzee, and I would name him/her Banana. Or Mary...

Hi dear cyber friend! A major disclaimer: I am eagerly awaiting my pre-ordered book in the mail, so DON'T pick me. I know, this is most unique. It is simply that I would love, love, love to have a most beautiful and kindly dappled gray Percheron in my backyard, although I am quite allergic to horses. So that is my dream, this lovely, sturdy, gray hose with the prettiest of spots and long flowing tail and mane, who would be very pleased when my two cats on occasion come to sit on her back and view the world from a nice high place. Kindly barn elves would repair our tumbly old bank barn, fill it with nice straw and hay, built a spiffy white fence, and talk pesky local officials into ignoring their ordinance about how much more acreage is required for horses than we actually have. Then I would learn how to drive a nice wicker cart (like the one that belonged to friends that I envied when I was about 10 in Maryland) and go trotting around our rural area with Miss Percheron. Oh what a delightful daydream. Thank you for the opportunity to weave that one!

Ooooh how I'd love to win this give away of yours Tif!!!hmm best answer your question then. I would have a bumblebee, I'd love it if she could be slightly on the chubby side and wear a little crown. Her name shall be Prince Pear (because how can you really tell if it's a girl or a boy bumblebee right?!)

Weeeeellllll, I do have a full time pet job looking after my ancient cat Sausage who lost his sight this year but still wants to roam around outside, bumping his nose on things, getting lost and standing in front of cars in the road. But my imaginary pet would be a fox cub called Rosie - she would have to be a cub so she would learn to walk nicely on a lead when we went for walks. And I'd like her to love sleeping in a basket in front of the fire on cold nights and not want to go out when its raining heavily - oh, and I want her to be vegetarian too!

oooo now, that's a great challenge! I'd have a little penguin that followed me around with an inquisitive look on his face. He would have a little sprout of feathers on the top of his head, and enjoy a good splash in the bath, in the birdbath outside, and in the odd puddle! I would call him 'Pickle', as his search for a good splash leads him into the silliest of places, and he looks up so cheekily and sheepishly when he's found!

Congrats on the new book, it looks fantastic! We camped on the same campsite as an airstream trailer in Cornwall a few weeks ago - it looked FaB! All the best renovating yours :)

Oh this is so fun! I want your book more than anything! :) My dreampet would be a Gorilla. A mountain gorilla. Those friendly animals has always been my favorites since the film with Sigourney Weaver. (Don´t know the english title: on swedish it was "De dimhöljda bergens gorillor" Say that if you can! :)))My gorilla should be a member of the family. He (yes it would be a he because I want him to have a beatiful silver back as an old gorilla) should have a soft big chair to sit in and I would learn him to read. I think he would love to read. When he thought something was exciting I´d hope he would bang his chest (is that the word?) like gorillas do when they get excited. Well, my house would be so much funnier and perfect with a mountaingorilla in it. (Sorry for my english. Or shall I call it swenglish...?)

A sheep! I would love to have my very own sheep! I would call her Dolly (yes, after the Barbra Streisand movie/musical Hello Dolly)! She would live in a little shed/cottage painted in the traditional Dutch colors: dark green, white & red! Would love to cuddle up with my head on her warm, woolie belly for naps. I would take her out for walks in the woods & through the open fields.Oh & would knit socks from her coat & wear them all winter long...*sigh*

I would most definitely want a little wiener dog named Snickerdoodle... and possibly a 2nd wiener dog named Crinkle, after my two favorite cookies. I grew up with the sweetest dog named Keepsake, and she passed away last year. She was 16 years old and I miss her everyday.

If I had any pet it would be a raccoon and her name would be Mika, which means "curious raccoon" in sioux. Mika would be trained to take walks with a leash and we would have poles and ledges high on the walls for her to climb and run around on.

Oh what fun! :o)But first, I must thank you for sharing your lovely book with us. That is so kind of you to do. :o)As ordinary as this may sound, I would love to have a kitten. We have always had cats and our children never had the chance to experience all the silliness and joy a little kitten brings. :o) And this sweet little lady would be called Adelaide. A favorite name, that has yet to be used. She would be very fluffy and sleep most soundly nestled in our arms. :o)Again, thank you for your lovely give a way and thank you for a charming way to be creative. :o)Have a nice week.Sincerely, Trish

What a lovely giveaway! I feel my entry coming on...I would love a Sheep or two or more. Roger Dodger Blue and Leader (I love saying that when I am on the phone...lol)These 4 would provide me with Fiber so I can spin/knit and crochet and all manner of other things. In return I would care for them by feeding them only the best Grass known to Mankind. Let them play out in a wonderful Field with Trees for shade and a warm hut for the colder times of day. I would provide them straw to rest on and have a chat each day as to what their plan may be for that day.....*sighI can but dream as all I have in reality is a concrete Yard :(

Well, my goodness, what an exciting giveaway! My pet would be a koala and she would be named Bess or if she was a he, he would be named Algernon. I know that koalas aren't cuddly but mine would be. We would have a lovely time together.

I spent a lovely few days in London last week, which included a visit to the lovely London Zoo. My favouritist animals in the Zoo were the penguins, who were playing in their new pool, having been moved this year from their smaller Grade 1 listed building to a much more suitable pool.

So my animal friend(s) would be a group of black-footed penguins, that I would name Buzz, Woody, Mr Potato-Head, Slinky and Rex, obviously after the characters from Toy Story. This would then mean that extra characters could be added to my brood if they wanted new friends.

I think my current bestest animal friend, a Russian Blue cat called Boxer, would get on with the penguins as he's a very charming chap.

I would so love to have a baby kitten (ginger colored of course) called 'Meow'. We are so so so not allowed any pets in my house.

I'd buy her a little basket and cart Meow everywhere, I'd whip up a little blanket of tiny granny squares for Meow out of baby cashmerinoo wool (pink of course)and buy Meow scallops to eat on her birthday. Meow would sleep on the end of my bed every night and I would love her so.

hmmmmm. an interesting sort of pondering I feel coming on......i shall have to go with an elephant for my perfect pet. it would be a she of course, her name would be teeny. teeny and i would paint our nails together...bright red of course. we would do yard work as pals, she would trim the tall branches, i would get the low ones. we would go for walks around the lake together, teeny sporting a proper rhinestone collar and leash of course as any self respecting pet would do. we would, however, have to avoid public places such as main street or the city park. why you ask? can you see me caring around a device big enough to scoop her poop and get it back to an appropriate disposal facility? i am a bit on the slight side of things and should think i would have a terrible time of it. thus...my alter ego tells me i am in need of the worlds largest pet. thanks for reading and indulging my imagination. -Vickinvzanes@gmail.com

If I were to have a pet I would like a giraffe.I would call her Bessie.I would take her for walks on the common and laugh at the antics of the squirrels. I would buy an open top car so we could go for days out by the sea side and eat ice cream. Specially imported leaf flavour for her, stripy neapolitan for me.I was always a tall girl, 5'11" at age 15.Tallest in my class, tallest in the brownies and now tallest in my little family.It would be nice to look up when chatting.Bessie and I would have very long chats about interesting stuff and I would knit her a very long scarf to keep her warm in the cold upcoming months.

I would really love a siamese kitten. I have lived without a pet for 5 years as I lived in a place where it would get eaten by wild animals. Now I can finally have a pet I want a siamese as I had a gorgeous one years ago. I would call the kitten Lei-li because it makes me think of my grandmother and mother who both had the name Lilian.

Hi Tif, what an unbelievable great giveaway. So I have to come out of my snailshell (I don´t leave much comments on blogs...)and write a little story. First, I have already pre-orderd your book and can´t wait to have it here, but the chance to get it scribbeld by dottie angel herself - can´t get words... and also the embroidery... I go gasping...I would have a donkey in my yard. And his name would be Benjamin. I don´t konw exactly, if you know the book "My donkey Benjamin" , it´s a german one (Mein Esel Benjamin), but translated in many languages. Ich loved it as I were a child (as I am now)! So much that I always want to have a donkey. They are so sweet...so nice... So now I could have one! Thank you Tif, for the real idea of having MY Benjamin!Good luck and success in your TO DOS...Love, Tanja from germanytanja.abeln-bil@gmx.de

OOOOh i would definitely have a white owl as my pet, or a deer, or a little red fox!!!! I would take them for walks through a forest and they would squeal with delight once they find out I have made a secret hideout with buntings and cupcakes, just for me and them!!

I would really like to have an axolotl to look after as I could just look over and he'd always be smiling. I also really like the fact that they are salamanders that refused to grow up into salamanders and instead chose to stay as rebellious teenagers and it is that cheeky aspect of them appeals to me. I do not know what I would call my axolotl as I am really terrible with choosing names (I did manage to name my cat "Mouse"), but it'd probably be after one of the muppets, as I think they look a lot like the muppets.

Hello my dear Tif!What a delight and a bevy of inspiring tips is your blog.

The relationship I have been hard pressed to cultivate is the family of Nuts, being a father, mother and seeeeveerrrall children. All are squirrels. They have been my tenants for these eight years and have lived in the lap of luxury sharing my abode (my roof) and feasting on my fruit trees. They have chatted at me that my fruit is first rate but I wouldn't know having never reached any of it before this lovely little family. although I am sure I wouldn't care to own them I believe it is time for a sit down chat. I know they would never like to be considered greedy and I would never stoop to calling them so but my dream is to invite them to tea on itsy bitsy cushions with a teeny tiny service and discuss in relative, they are squirrels, serenity a truce and by doing so finally enjoy some produce of my own cultivating and possibly a spot of good reading, being your book!

What a super de doop giveaway, I would love to win a copt of your book, which looks amazing. I have always wanted to keep a little green frog as a pet and his name would be Frog and he would keep my other two pets company ie Black Cat and Scruffy Cat, that is if the cats do not eat him, which could be potentially I think, a problemo.Much loveAlison

I would have a pet orangutan and he would be called 'Edmund'. He would be great with a fluffy duster with those long arms enabling him to reach and climb to places I can never get to myself. After a day of helping me around the house I would give him his favourite dinner, which would be banana and peanut butter sandwiches. After dinner we would watch the film 'Harry and the Henderson's'. Before tucking Edmund into his hammock we would give each other lots of hugs, as orangutan's are such lovable and tactile creatures.

This is a wonderful giveaway and if I won I would love to have the book signed :)

wow.wow.wow..all fingers crossed!we already have a few pets (4 hens, 4 roosters - that we were hoping would be hens when we bought them as chicks! - 2 baby possums called Freddy and Shiny and a lamb called Marley) and 4 (nearly 5) children. i really can't think of wanting ANOTHER animal to care for...but if i had one all to myself it'd be a cat called Pearl who would really excellent at catching mice in the autumn :)

Pippet would live in the the top pocket of my overalls & would come with me while I drove through the Hard Rubbish looking for Aussie 'forsaken souls' to rescue....!

I would have to be tre careful though as to remember he's in there when I'm lifting big pieces of furniture in case I squash him & bring about his untimely demise....For that reason I think I would have a little shoebox filled with a tiny downy quilt where I would let him snuggle when I stop to investigate the larger bits.... :o) !!

** NB: If I win your GORGEOUS giveaway Tif, I would like you to dedicate it to my ever patient Friend Wendy whom I adore above & beyond all others & whom I think, along with your good self is one of the most CLEVERLY CREATIVE folk I've ever had the pleasure of knowing....!!!!! **

If the friend that could reside in my small patch out-back was not bounded by the conventions of society, I think I would like to be friends with a donkey.

I would scratch his back (literally) and he would scratch mine (i would no longer need to wrestle with the lawn-mower at not-so-regular intervals).

Del the donkey would be adopted from the Devon Donkey Santuary. To get Del from Mother England to my backyard in Australia, I would save all my pennies and pay his passage on a cruise ship. On the trip over he could enjoy some dancing and the odd skinny-dip in the pool, late at night, while no-one is watching.

Once Del arrived in my lush green patch out back, I would make him a hat. A red felt fedora.... with holey holes for his lovely long ears.

Del's hat would shade his eyes from the harsh Australian sun. In true Aussie style I shall dangle corks from the brim of his handmade red felt fedora, to keep at bay the blowies (flies) that he would not be accustom to, as we all know, there are no flies in Great Britain (or so I've heard)

At night I would read Del a bedtime story from my newly acquired 'Dotty Angel' book.

I would like to have a donkey. I've always loved their sweet tragic eyes. HIs name would be Buffel as his bestfriend he would have a beautiful white raven. They are an odd couple but they have the best of times.(hope my English is ok)

And so even though I'm 46 years old I've always, always wanted a turtle. He would have a wonderful habitat to live in with lush green plants, a little swimming area. And his name would be Sebastian. I have loved the name Sebastian since reading Brideshead Revisted.

I would love to have a little squirrel ( Antelope Squirrels , they are so cute ! ). I will make a tiny lovely house in a log. his name will be cannelle (cinammon in french). Cannelle the squirrel... She will bring us all sorts of nuts, and open them for us (how convenient is it to have a squirrel at home !).

I hope this doesn't post 3 times. That's how many times I tried to post a comment. So..I apologize for any duplicate comments from me. With that out of the way...I would LOVE to win your book. I love your style and your blog. I love cats and I have one named Ringo!

Goodness, what a pleasure and honour it would be to win such lovely wonderfulness. Thank you most kindly for the opportunity.

I have been thinking about my pet and have decided that I will keep things quite ordinary, for I an ordinary sort of soul. My imaginary pet would be a dog. Probably a smallish, patchy type of hound, which sounds very dull, but you see the brilliant part is that as he is imaginary, he wouldn't be dull at all. He'd really be a kind of super 'man's best friend' like the ones in books. You know the ones, they know when to bounce with happiness and when to lay a head on your hand, they can dig up ancient and mysterious treasure on the beach and fetch help when you fall down a rock crevice. A very good companion for adventures and childhood fun. (I seem to have regressed in my imagination!) I think he'd also have to have a very ordinary sort of name so no-one would suspect he had 'super-dog' type of qualities. He'd be called "Brown", but in secret, when no-one was listening, I'd call him "Worthington Brown" because we both know how special he really is.

Oh me, oh my!Not only a chance to win a copy of your fabulous book, but you've also included a signing of it (of course that would have to happen!) and an original piece of embroidery to go with it!

My heart is all a flutter, and going skippity skip to a 'how- badly-do-I-want-to-win-this-giveway?' tune! :o)

Well, anyway, here's my 'nitty gritty' :o)

Many moons ago, I had an imaginary pet dragon (long before Harry Potter came along-well MANY moons before he was even thought of actually..). My dragon was very originally called Dragony. Now if the two twin boys whom I used to live next to didn't behave themselves, I used to threaten to set Dragony on them unless they played the game I wanted to play. This worked until they both 'aquired' dragons, and were no longer scared of me nor Dragony. I think they did this at their Mothers urging, and I have never gotten over them ganging up on me and Dragony like that ;o)

So I would love to have a real Dragon, and yes, i would call him Dragony :o)

Goodness, where on earth did all that come from lol :o)You'd better not publish this post dear Tif, as you won't have room for anymore comments! ;o)

Have a fabby week Tif, and I hope you enjoy your time at the Creative Connection :o)Donna xx

Ok, how exciting, an opportunity to win your book! I do so hope this is open to everyone everywhere. I would love a miniature zebra, like the size of a little dog, and I would call him jelly bean, because I love jelly beans. I would also love to have a few rats, who could have their own room, each with their own converted dolls house to rat dwelling, connected by tunnels so they could go visiting. I would call them marshmallow, lollipop & candy floss.

when I was younger, I had a hamster named Fuzzbutton. He met a most unfortunate end, but I have always thought it would be nice to see him again.

however, if I am unable to resurrect lost pets, I would settle for a pygmy goat named Lila. I have always loved the name Lila. And I have always wanted a goat. So there you go. (ps I just looked up images of pygmy goats, and now I want one even more!)

Thank you for the lovely giveaway! I would be honored to have a Dottie Angel Original!

That is a generous giveaway!I would love your book and yes with your scribbling in it!And the lace piece is gorgeous!I would love to have a llama...thought of having them and researched the whole deal, but hubby won't go for that idea!I love needlefelting and could get my own wool from her!I would call my alpaca 'spit no more'...hopefully because I could train her not to spit......I asked a man that had them in a show if they spit,and he said" Does a dog bite?"Anyway, I love them!

Tif! I absolutely adore reading your bloggy ramblings. they in fact, do make me smile. :) as for my pet, I have been blessed with many pets in my life, all very affectionate and appreciative and trustworthy... but I have never had the opportunity to keep a lion. I would love to be a lion keeper (not a tamer, because I don't believe you should tame lions) and I would name my strong female lion big kitty, and I would brush her mane and snuggle with her on the couch when we watched movies, and roll on the grass with her and sleep in the sun.

i would love to have a lion with the fluffiest mane and call him 'Roar'. He would be fierce but gentle of course with the little ones. Almost like 'The Happy Lion' but I'd never have to keep him locked up in a cage.

Your book is lovely and you are incredibly clever! My dream pet would be a pair of alpacas, and I would name them Algernon and Emily. If I'm the lucky winner, I will be reading your book to my cat, Frodo, just before bedtime. He is dreamy in his own right.

helloi hadn't expected to find a giveaway. nor to hear the sad tale of your dear departed chicken *sniff* i have shed some tears as i do love chickens.. they are often characterful and affectionate creatures.i think i would like a hare friend having a special affinity with them (plus my surname is the dutch word for hare). we do spot them occasionally here in the meadow, but not as often as we see bunnies. there are lots of bunnies. a hare is rarer and awfully mysterious. they are also associated with the moon. therefore i might name her Luna Meadowsweet.one of my favourite furry friends was a mouse called Bless, he was very special. we also had a rat called Scallywag, a gang of guinea pigs named Pig-a-pig, Plato, Peachy, Pumpkin and Prince and donkey called Mr. Bumble. we presently have 3(rescued)deaf white cats called Yuki-Dove, Snoopy Lamb and Daisy Moomin, a black cat named Owly Marley and a last but not least a lovely labrador named Peace Lily.

Easy peasy. Eligh + Jonte. I read years ago about how donkeys hooves grow constantly and if donkeys are neglected (which they are by mean nasty horrible people) their hooves grow and grow and grow and they end up not being able to walk anywhere - starvation and dehydration - awful!!! So I have always imagined a couple of rescued donkeys in the paddock infront of my house - feet looking great and they would be called eligh and Jonte. I dont have a paddock infront of my house but if i ever do.........

Tif, I would love to enter your competition and try to win your book, with signing and names please.I would like to share my home with a guinea fowl called Dot...I have tall trees for him to sleep in and a duck to be his friend. Bugs in the garden to fill his tummy and wheat for added carbs. If he left me dotted feathers on windy days it would make me very happy.

Oh, that's too easy- chickens! I'm obsessed with chickens. I live in the city so I cant have any. I've been working on my parents to get some (I'm 37 and still pestering my parents for a pet!). They actually met at a poultry show, but we never had chickens as kids. As yet they haven't given in to my demands (despite the tantrums!), but I'm still working on them. I even have names picked out- Atticus, Jem, Scout, Boo Radley and Miss Maudie. Yep, I'm also obsessed with To Kill A Mockingbird.

Hmmm...an imaginary pet...usually I can't stop wanting more pets. Must be the lack of other comments that is daunting...I think I would really like a harbor seal. They have such sweet faces and shy personalities. And I would name her Selkie, because just maybe she really was a changling.

If I could have any pet, I would have a raccoon. When I was a kid I read a book about a pet raccoon who washed his food before he ate it, he always got into mischief and was very hilarious. I would name him Jim because I feel like he would want a serious name, but one that was casual.

I would have a chicken...we aren't allowed to where we live...some weird and I think frankly silly city limit ordinance thing...but oh well...I'd call her Betsy...we have a fake ceramic one hidden amongst the tomatoes in the yard..but it's just not quite the same thing!

This is the most fantastical giveaway ever!!! I love Pip and Pip's friend already, and would love to hear more of them and their antics. I have dreams of lots of critters around here, so this will be hard to narrow it down. The one I want most, but will probably never (realistically) have, is a doe-eyed jersey cow, and name her Molly. And I am sure she would love peppermint tea and moon pies, and we would pass the evenings away, together, enjoying said delights. But alas, tis very large, and too much milk for this brood of mine (4-6 gallons a day), and we would have milk coming out the wazoo, sheesh. So, instead we opt for two goats, hopefully in the spring, and we will name them Molly and Maggie. Don't they sound like perfect friends already? Pygmy goats would be such fun, but not much milk there.

We also want chickens, and we almost adopted some this past spring. Your last post made me consider getting them right now, today (or I guess it was yesterday), but I fear it may be too late in the summer with the cool weather on it's way? Maybe we need to wait until spring. I would like a mix of breeds so we will collect a basket full of colorful eggs, and I plan to name them according to the color of eggs, say... Azure, Clover (despite the fact that the eggs only have a slight bluish or greenish tint), and Amber/Tea/Honeybun/Ivory? Still hashing them out...

By the by, I just found your blog about a week ago or so, and I am quite smitten. It is quickly becoming my utmost favorite. I will miss your posts whilst you are busy, but completely understand, take your time caring for those that need you most.

This is so easy. I have four weasels (ferrets). I would LOVE a sea otter! Have you ever watched a sea otter video or TV show? they have got to be the wiliest, cutest, smartest weasel ever. Since all my other ferrets are named after a Quientin Teurantino movie's. I'd give the sea otter the name of honor of Hunny Bunny. Wouldn't matter if it was a boy or girl. We have a girl named Mr. Pink so we break the rules anyway. I'd absolutely have to move and get Hunny Bunny his own pool. Oh if only I could!

I have two lovely large dogs named Gracie and Lola, and so our house already overfloweth with happiness and tufts of flying fur, but I've been thinking lately that we should get Lola a pet. She's such a happy girl and has lots of love to give. I think she'd like a guinea pig and we could name her Petunia. I'm sure Lola would agree that Petunia's a perfect name for a guinea pig, but if she had other ideas, then of course I'd take her suggestions.

Now, on the off chance that Lola simply scoffs and turns her head at the thought of a guinea pig (which I can't imagine happening), then I would opt for my personal first choice, a mini horse called Lillian that would wear pink rainboots and relish gray rainy days like me. We would rarely head outside except to check the mail and for brisk early morning walks - her short legs would tire too easily for much outdoorsiness, so we'd be perfectly content to stay home and bake cakes together.

Unfortunately, you have stolen my answer. I was going to say a goat. I've always wanted a goat. (Or two or three.) I would name it Martin.

If I were forced to come up with an alternate so as not to be a copy cat, I'd say a polar bear. A nice one, not the ferocious sort that would tear our heads off. A vegan polar bear, how 'bout? And I'd name him Taxi. I don't know why.

I have always, since I was about 7 years old, wanted a Shetland Pony. My friend had a really wicked one in her backyard. His name was Lightening and he was as ornery as they come. But I always thought if he lived in my backyard I would love him into being the sweetest pony that ever was!

my imaginary pet is a lovely little fawn named Greta. One day as I was strolling in the forest, as I loved to do in the cool of the morning, I heard a rustling in some bramble bushes about a small stone throws away. I bravely ventured towards the sound to come upon the lovliest of little does whose spindly feet were caught up in the thicket. She called to me with a meek yet hopeful voice to come and rescue her, so I broke the hindering branches and lifted her up just like a lil baby into my arms. She woefully informed me that her parents were gone and that she was all alone and very sad. Well, that day, I took Greta home with me (she told me that was what her mama named her) and we lived happily ever after, taking daily strolls through the forest every morn, listening to the birds chirping and watching the bunnies grazing. A greta pet and friend she has proven to be!the endmugsyfranchi@hotmail.comconsiderthelillies09.blogspot.com

I know it may seem a little corny since pretty much every little girls dreams of one day having one but I would love to have a horse. I want one thats a butterscotch color with a really light mane and maybe some spots on it. I would name it something silly like Kitty. It would probably be overweight since I love watching animals eat, lol. I would brush it and wash it and braid its mane and maybe add some bows.

A tea cup pig is my dream. If you've never seen one, I implore you to look it up immediately. The ones with black spots are painfully cute. As for a name, I fond of both Sheila and Kevin. As for now, just my kitten will do, something tells me she would not be a fan of a new addition (:

Well shoot, my little story would be nothing compared to Pip and his friend. I feel a bit intimidated. That being said.. A tiny little bunny would be a lovely friend, I could carry it in my pocket and call her Petunia. It would be lovely. I would send Pip and Co a picture and they would approve. Over tea.

Oh lovely Tif, you are so kind, you brighten my day, I hope you find, a giggle inside to let right out, when you hear which critter I am talking about. It's an armadillo that I would choose, and love it sweetly as it would amuse, it's name would be swifty, because it's so swift, it would run all around and my spirits would lift. I would give it a proper good space for it to run, and it would give all us Owens such pleasure and fun!! Hope I can win your book because I dearly love to spend time with you and you're such a talented gem of a person! <3 Linda Owen

I just want a cat to take care of! I haven't lived with a cat in years and I miss it so much. I miss the warm cuddling. I would name my cat Finn because it would be a boy cat and hopefully a big fat one!

thanks for the chance to win your lovely book and embroidery! I hope I can call these two my very own!

How fun! I'd have a cuddly lamb named Monsita. We'd both like whiling away our afternoons in the field--me with my face in a book, she with her face grazing the clover. I'd learn shearing and spinning so that I could make the most beautiful yarn. My winter days would be spent knitting sweaters from it so that Monsita and I could wear matching wool.

I would love to have some chickens and my favorite one would be Gertrude. I not really sure if they are good pets for snuggling but maybe I could spoil her enough that she would be. angmatkins@gmail.com

oh goodness, i was going to be simple and say "a french bulldog named Bean!" because i refer to money as "beans" (I guess like magic beans? and perhaps i am jack and the beanstalk, trading my cow for beans to trade for a puppy) but i suppose a puppy is less exiting, than, say, a manatee or a giraffe. but i really desperately want a puppy! more than a manatee or a giraffe!

well that was a spiffy hour just past reading all your wonderful comments! it always makes me most pleased to know so many imagination caps are so well used... thank you my dearies for sharing and painting the picture so well... i could see it all :)

I would love to have a raccoon as a pet. I love their stripped tails, and their little purring sounds they make. I would name him Rory. Racoons are very generous, they bring you really nice shiny gifts. Rory would be very happy here as he would have alot of playmates. I have 5 cats, 5 dogs, and 5 rabbits so Rory would always have somebody to talk to and play with.jennifergoodman43@yahoo.com

Aloha! What an amazing giveaway!!! I have two imaginary pets,Beep is a great white crane and Sluety the alligator! They solve crime together and live in a slough. Beep never goes anywhere without his briefcase and Sluety has quite the 'tude! Mahalos for the fun you bring to us! Aloha robin-themonkeyunderground@gmail.com

Oh my!! To hold a personally signed copy of your book would the the utmost in loveliness!!! :)

This is the most fun giveaway I've ever seen!!

The one pet I would love to have is a little Pug girl and I would name her Rosy..with a y. :)

Being so little I would be able to take her anywhere with me so we would go shopping together, take slow walks in the park and enjoy life. I would also bring her on family vacations, like camping, road trips and our Adventures in Los Angeles. (We are doing that as a family right now!) I don't think I would dress her up as I feel that is undignified, but I do think she would feel very pretty with a sparkly red collar!

Golly, now I want one more than ever!! My husband is a big dog guy and so I wait....patiently (usually) for my turn!! :)

Hey Tif, what a wonderful giveaway, I shall go and give my bookshelf an extra special dust and tidy up in preparation of the possiblity of winning..........

My pet would be an English Red Robin..........I love these little birds, all fluffed up trying to keep warm in Winter.

He would be tame enough to sit on my finger or shoulder so I could hand feed him and stay around all year. He would be my helper in the garden and sit on the shovel handle just like the one in Beatrix Potter's illustrations.

I would call him Charlie and he would be invisible to Tigger my ginger tom ............It's been fun reading everyone's entry, thanks for hosting such a wonderful giveaway.

Many moons ago I lived with a cat named Felix Octavius Carr Darley, after whom a famous illustrator was named, going backwards in time. (It happens this way.) With great sadness I had to find a new home for him because of the arrival of DH who suffers from the dreaded A word. I have been catless since, and so, I think fondly of joining ranks with another soft furry fluffiness. She will be named for another fine illustrator, Beatrix Potter, and I will call her Bea. I'll read poetry to her every day, and scratch that bit under her chin and then behind her left ear. Then I'll show her the pictures in your book, and we'll purr in unison. Thank you very much for the privilege of entering your contest.

I recently saw some gray peacock pheasants at an aviary in Walla Walla while visiting my grandmother. They are so beautiful and understated (compared to their showy cousins). Wow. I would love to have a pair someday. They would be called, according to my DH, Flannery and Constantine, which would suit them nicely, I think.

I could be more extravagant with my dreams but honestly just a couple of chooks in our yard would be such a treat! They'd undoubtedly be named after superheros though I'd like to think of them as gertie & dot in this dream. They'd lay us lots of delicious eggs & keep us company as we potter about in the garden, they'd lend an ear to hear all the stories of woe 3 little boys have to tell when no-one else will listen & they just might make our cubby house their cosy home...oh now I've been corrected by the little guy, apparently it's pigs we'd like to have...

Oh I've already thought about this many times, I would have a miniature pig and a teenager skunk, the Pig would be Petunia and the skunk Bridget, and they would follow me around everywhere believing that I am their mommy

I LOVE your book, and thanks for the chance to imagine winning it! Well, much as I dearly love my 3 cats - let me imagine what I would pick from anything in the world and no worries .... I think I might like to live with a friendly gorilla and I would call him Walter :) Leslie (lcquinn@ shaw.ca)

Ohmygoodness! My imaginary little animal friend, piggly-wiggly, would love to have your book + embroidered goodness grace our walls, Tif! :) He is a teeny tiny piglet that never grows old, of the potbelly sort. He likes to cuddle and sleep nestled in blankies after a frolic in the neighbors flowers - he tries to embroider with me, but gets distracted by the colorful threads. :)

There is not a critter type being that makes my heart palpitate more than a little dachshund. And because I have actually contemplated ways to get more of those sweet puppies, one of my strategies would be to appease the very car-minded males in my household by naming them after cars.

So my first new critter would be Bently. Then we could get Austin, Limo and Citroen because we already have a Mini Cooper.

Then when my husband tries to subtlety suggest that we might be needing more space to accommodate a certain acquisition like Mercedes or some such name, I will decide whether it is an appropriate name for a darling pup and then agree to it.

oooOOH would love to win this so much. so kind of you.we all want furry pets here.i myself a white barn owl i will name him GRAM and he will swoop down each night to sing me a song by the moonlight. my son number 1 wants rabbits and i dont mean one or three but a bunch and he is weary of said owl already. son number 2 wants birds, and will call them good spider man and bad spider man. decided yesterday. x

No way....I will meet you there at the TCC ...will hunt you down..happy dance.What a cute question to ask...I have always wanted a Chicken or two..really a few girls around would be wonderful...betty sue...mary jo...annabelle...3 happy hens..I would think that would be perfect.

Since I was a little girl, I have always thought that having a little monkey as a pet to love would be so wonderful. It would have to be a girl monkey because everyone knows that girls have all the fun clothes and accessories and I would (of course) have to dress her up everyday. Her name would be Lovey because after all, I would love her very much.

If I could, I would have a donkey and a chihuahua. I'd call the donkey 'Donkey' like on Shrek and my little dog would be 'Rascal'. They would be the best of friends. Donkey would give Rascal rides and Rascal would protect Donkey with his yippity yappity ways. They would be loved members of my tribe which already consists of three sons. They would be boys too and very rascally. Thank you for this moment to dream.

hellowhen i was little i always wanted a chimp and i loved the idea of walking to school with him holding hands (or going to school on a horse like pippi longstocking). I would still kinda like a chimp, but until now hadn't thought of a name for him....i quite like the thought of something plain though like 'mister david pepper chimp' (i would love a copy of your book)

Once upon a time this girl with long nut brown braids was befriended by a kindly goat named Sarah Anne. This girl, now a smidge wiser and presently donned with shiny white locks too short for winding into chords of goodness, would still a goat choose for a friend.

Congratulations on you successes, and thank you dearly for your inspiration.

A Fairy Penguin, called Pookie. He would be a tiny and cute and would come and live with me. Not an ordinary penguin, he would curl up to sleep in a blue and white tea cup and love diving and jumping in my little pond in my back garden. Pookie would love riding in a special harness on the front of my bike. Dreaming of Pookie already!

I have fallen in love with alpacas over the summer, they are so beautiful and yet so cheeky, and I love the way they talk to each other and you.Sadly I can neither afford one or have room. They would be called Milly, Molly and Mandy (you have to have three or they get lonely) as I loved the books when I was little. Jo x

I would love to have a big garden with a lots of tree's and space. Inside this little paradise would live my deer called bella, to not be allone with her deer husband.Like this, one day would born a little doe star named stella. ♥They would not be shy to me and eat out of my hands. We would make long walks together in the near forest and mountains and the would always help me to find the way home again. At night we would all cuddle togehter for looking the stars and i would telling to them long stories of life and singing little songs of love.With their big brown eyes they could help me to forget all the difficults and pains.

What wonderful daydreaming.I love your blog and new book.Thank you.aurora

Never before have I hoped to win a giveaway this much! The one who wins will be a happy person indeed. :)

Now to the challenging part. It was very hard for me to choose only one critter since I would like to have so many of them. When I was a kid I had a stable full of imaginary critters and I loved them dearly. Two of my favorite animals in that stable were my pet dingo named Raivotar (that's finnish for Fury) and a black arabian stallion called Ben Shihu. I would love to have Raivotar with me again. Despite her name she was a gentle creature and would follow me everywhere. She could also be furious if someone ever tried to bully or harm me in any way. She was wise too.

Hello TiffI hope this message finds you well. So sorry about the news of 'Billy no mates' xxAs for a pet, well I am a simple soul you see, and all I would like is a dog. Just a wee dog who nobody loves and I could give a home to. You see, and this is VERY sad, my husband is not keen on them. And when I have asked him, for at least 10 years now, if I can go to the Animal Rescue Shelter and choose a friend with sad eyes and no family.... His exact words have been 'Over my dead body'I have thought about itMwa-haw-haw..(evil Laugh!)And that is my sad tale xxYour book looks amazing, if I don't win, I will buy it any way!LoveSophiefadinggrace.blogspot.comsophielewis64@hotmail.co.ukxx

oh my it would so have to be a mini mini micro-pig, a girl one called matilda, she would have her own wardrobe of mini ra-ra skirts and colourful ruffles and would be the sweet little dynamo rushing from room to room in search of anything to snuffle. After her frenzy of excitement and snuffling she would sleep stretched out with her mini snout resting on her sweet trotters with her back legs twitching at the thought of a day in a beautiful country orchard amongst the juiciest of apples, running through the sweet smelling grass and sun-kissed flowers.Of course she would maybe get lonely to a little boy micro-pig called Walter would join the clan - he of course would wear little striped jumpers and shades.....

Okay here goes, I would like two yes two vietamise pot bellied pigs, one called tweddledee and one called tweddledum, after the tweddles in Alice in wonderland. I could just imagine them two fighting and arguing over space in my back garden and then nuding each other if they recognising someone who doesnt want them recognise them, gosh thats a toungue twister and fighting trying to keep their secret quiet. I could imagine them fighting and arguing, but yet being the best of friends with the rest of my pets. And they will always most certainly be hiding from the jaberwockky!!!! But in reality they are the best of friends and the closest of closet brothers they can be!!!!! This is my competion entry. Fingers Crossed!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Hello! If i could wish for anything as a pet I would love to have a Hermit crab. This summer we catch a few of them in the water of the west coast of Sweden. They are soo cute. If i could have one as a pet i will call him "Allan".

Outside the imagination our family is just getting a cat. A beautiful red cutiebutton. We named him "Sixten". He will be moving in at the end of September....

Hi Tif.This is a wonderful giveaway! Your book looks so inspiring. I would love to win it.

I really like your question/challenge. It is so funny to read what kind of animal people dream of having.My own 'dream pet' would be a female albatross. One of the great albatrosses. I would call it Alma. I would sit on its back and together we would fly across land and ocean through out the entire world. We would visit far away places and have great adventures together. We would see the world from above, but sometimes also make dives and see the world from our feet. I wouldn't keep it in a bird cage, but simply let it live on my balcony. When we would not fly across the world, we would go fishing and make delicious fish meals together.Greetings from FarfallaDK

My dear friend Rufus, (pronounced... Rrr0000fus) is a large white polar bear. He is famous for pinching the best seat in the house, which is the corner of our sofa, nearest the fire. I do not mind this though as, since you ask why... it gives me an excuse to snuggle up to his mohair tum which smells of baby powder. He enjoys to bathe in our oversized bath tub and read sunday newspapers in the garden wearing a straw hat. The neighbours don't mind as he is quite useful in assisting in the picking of apples from the highest branches of their tree. (He only eats a few as apples give him terrible wind... and as some may know - wind and snuggles don't mix!! :-)

'Ooooh', *ponders a while*, 'I'd get me a spider - of medium size - a friendly, talkative one who could help me to understand the skitterish movements that cause me to jump and squeal and take cover at a safe distance and height having grabbed shoes and then spend an age peering around the corner, summoning enough courage to climb down. I'm think he will be needing some spider earmuffs to cope with my inevitable squeaking whilst we get acquainted.

Wow, a goat is up there with critters I'd love to own. If I could have any critter it'd be a llama. They are strange looking, and kinda cuddly looking too. I would name it DORIS. Animals with old fashioned human names are the bomb!I am conjuring all the good karma I can, I have crossed my t's and dotted my i's, fingers crossed, eyes crossed, toes crossed. I would love my walls to adorn your beautiful stitchery. www.mrssarab.blogspot.com

what a difficult question and what a generous giveaway!if i could, i'd love to have a donkey, a light colour one, and i would call it "cotton". then i would also like to have two dogs, one (a hound) would be called sherlock holmes and the other (definitely a bulldog), doctor watson:)bdiazdurany(at)yahoo(dot)com

oh my, what a fabulous prospect...the thought of holding one of your books in my hands is almost too much to bear!

My critter...one thing I have wanted for ever so long, (since I was a little girl) is a little, fluffy, yellow chicken. Yes I know they grow up! I used to have two bantam chickens called Hansel and Gretel and would put them on a polystyrene surf board and surf them across our pool and delight in their clucks and flapping as they went whizzing across the surface of the pool!

And another quick story...when I Was little we lived next to a farm and the neighbors chickens would wander into our yard, and hard as I tried, I could not catch any, just to hold for a teeny, tiny bit....

So my critter would be a tiny, fluffy fur ball and I would name her Miss Penelope Jane.

She would be allowed to roam anywhere (hence a free-range chicken), never be eaten, she would chirp delightfully upon seeing me and I would watch her grow into a lovely golden-colored Hen who would lay beautiful golden eggs-two a day, just for me.

What a fun give away this is!Hope it's okay if I enter, though I am from Holland. But if internationals are not included, I'd still love to tell you about Benjamin!

I didn't have to think about this one for a second, because I have always wanted a lion for cuddling and snuggling! Cats are the greatest! It has to be a babyboy called Benjamin and he will have his own place in our big backyard, but will never be there because it is much more cozy on the couch with us, where we watch movies. We will have an extremely big bed, because he will sleep near our feet to keep them warm, and the cat, that is his pet, will be there too. On a dayly walk around town he figured that flying would be more fun, so he took lessons and now we fly to exotic places to meet his relatives and drink cocktails out of a coconut on the beach. Just one for Benjamin though, he has to fly us home safely!

You can check out my blog for contacts, or mail to mevrsnoeshaan@hotmail.com

Good morning Tiff.Certainly the best competition I have ever entered - and what a lovely prize! My friend would be a dear little monkey, a really tiny one, like a Marmoset or a Capuchin, and she would be called Małpa (say it like M-ow-pa), Polish for Monkey. She will clap her little hands, and I will teach her how to play the tambourine when she dances. If she likes it, she will wear little cardigans I have knitted for her, and I will show her how to knit and sew so we can sit together on winter evenings creating sweet things, whilst listening to music, and I would read to her from your lovely book. If it were my husband entering, he would have an English Bull terrier, mostly white with a black patch over one eye, and his name would be Jonathan, and he would wear a red bandanna around his neck.

Wow, so many entries for the give away!That's a lot of reading Tiff..Well, i would like some hedge hogs for pets. They are the loveliest of all an may be they can help me with my needle work by lending me some of there needles, or hold some of the yarn. I would give them a save place under the two-seater. They will sleep on a pretty nifty blancket i've made for them in autumn colours so they feel at home...and once in a while they let me hold them and look theyre loveliest look with those beadie eyes. Can you imagine?

I would love to have some chickens! They're may latest "farm dream". They would be beautiful and I would have fresh eggs all the time! I would come up with all sorts of fun names, but Daisy and Miss Susie would be on the list!

I didn't even have to think about it! I'd love an Alpaca and his name would be Fabian (said in a French accent). I would love his absolute strangeness and of course, he wouldn't get lost in the overgrowness of my garden. I can just picture him now peeping through the flowers. An added benefit would be his lovely fleece which I could spin into some scrummy yarn. Yes, I dream of Fabian!

If your lovely giveaway is open to international readers I would very much like to enter.

Well, i'll tell you anyway about my pet story even if it's not open for international readers..:)

I would love to have a white pony. I'll call her Bellatrix Luna. We would be best friend and she would take me to ride to the rainbow with her magic dust. And maybe an owl for my son (he loves owl so much!)..he would be named Rawk.

I think I would have a baby monkey. One that would be constantly hung around my neck, I might even use a baby sling and dress her up with baby bootee's and a bonnet. She would be called Bessie.....and love kisses on her nose, and a bottle of warm milk before bed every night. And of course she would have a little bed in my girls room, all of her own, with a patchwork blanket and soft pillow..........can you tell I've thought of this before?nattie x

I have always loved rabbits, but alas I also adopt greyhounds. My newest is a wonderful eight-year old with "issues" who must be an only pet. So I would love to have a very large cottontail bunny, oh seventy pounds or so. He would be quite able to take care of himself and teach his sister Sadie to leave the other yard bunnies alone. His name: Boothby!

How flippitty floppity fabulous ! This gorgeous giveaway is calling my name , cant you just hear it? Flick back your luscious locks and listen ... What a match made in heaven we would be! Dottie Angels book and me, Ta very muchly for this chance to win, I an now sporting a cheeky, cheesy , cheshire cat grin. Well Tiff, my imaginary critter would be a peachy potbellied pig called Philamena.Philamena would live in my little wooden lodge with me of course and we would spend the days together talking about allsorts of spiffing things AS pigs are very intelligent you know !(of course I hear you say ) After lunch of cupcakes and tea we would while away the hours in front of our totally spiffing namesake of philamena- the one and only pot bellied stove. did I say one and only ? well i meant to say three , the bellies of Philamena , Stovie and me. Good luck with the book! Katie k.black@o2.co.uk

last friday, i saw my cat playing outside and ahe was throwing something in the air. " what is she doing exactly?" i thought to myself, feeling aomewhat worried. i had a bad feeling. i went out to see and to my dismay, saw it was a tiny little mouse. my cat killed her. not intentionally, i think she just wanted to be friends. Poor little thing, i am sad i could not save her. I saved many a mice you know ! so i guess i have a fondness for them. they remind me of those little characters in fairy tales books. i think i would give her the name of Betsy. ^_^ winning your book and your beautiful stichery would bring me much happiness. i am leaving on a trip to france though. so if i win,( fingers and toes crossed ) perhaps you can contact my daughter ? she would gladly give you my postal adress.

138...or 139...whatever my lucky number may be. i would love to win this awesome little book...signed, of course. my pet would be another pig...i say another as i already had one & he died in his sleep of old age several years ago. that pig was close to 400 pounds...estimated of course...so i would name the next one Teenie... silly mood this morning! pick me please! *e*

Now, what a truely wonderful give away!!! Not only a copy of your book, but signed too!!!

I have been waiting to tell this story for a year, so please forgive me if I go on a bit, the idea is so amazing. Although some people might find it quite strange!!Last year a man wrote on the subject of unusual pets about his pet rock called einstein.Now, being a great rock lover myself the whole idea really got me going.I have a number of rocks in my garden and I intend to decorate them with eyes, smiles and even hair to give them their own personality.A rock is cheap and easy to maintain and can live for millions of years!!!As far as names go I think I would be going with the flintstones, Pebbles, Bambam, Barney, ect.On doing some internet research on the subject of pet rocks and their needs, I found that there is a whole group of people who own one or more.This link is my dream pet rock and what he/she would look like.http://ny-image3.etsy.com/il_570xN.191838415.jpgAnd also a link to Einsteinhttp://farm1.static.flickr.com/86/228342899_d47bbb3acd.jpgAnd the hairy ones are so sweethttp://applehead.typepad.com/applehead/images/pet_rocks.jpg

My ideal pet would be a boiled sweet named Ruby, with a very special diet - fluff. I would keep it in my pockets, my bags and down the back of the sofa, as those places are where I find most fluff. However it wouldn't live long as it would probably be found by my family and eaten.

I would like to have a little bird, singing for me when I make dinner! This is pretty impossible for me to have, because of our big hunting cat, Miaut is his name, after a pokemon.. (that I love, love love), but I dream of having a beautiful bird, singing making me happy, and his name would be Ferdinand, after my funny cousin. I love that name!

I already have a sort-of imaginary fox muse, Charlotte, who needs a forest friend more than I do. Chit Chat the squirrel has been swirling around in my head and desperately needs to take physical form soonly! There's just one problem: Chit Chat's chattering leaves no room in his little lobe for remembering where he buried his acorns and now tiny oaks have sprung up all over the yard. Maybe Chit Chat should stay in my head for a bit longer, what do you think?

So excited for your book, but really I am just so happy we all get to partake in your lovely, lovely blog everyday, Tiff. Thanks for inspiring us all and, more than just occasionally, making us smile.

I don't care that they're extinct (so sad), I want a dwarf Sicilian elephant. They're only three feet tall! And I will name her Daisy and take her to the beach with me, where we'll have picnics and play in the surf and collect shells to weave into necklaces and crowns. And she will sleep with me every night and hold my hand in her tiny trunk, and tickle my chin with her elephant hairs. It will be beautiful. :)

I'm normally a bit more of a people person. I could never have the patience to look after an animal as well as children!However I'd love a little deer. (my mother-in-law grew up with a pet deer and fox that lived in their house) she would be called petal. xxxxholly@thebrannigans.comwww.hollyblues.blogspot.com

If I could have any critter in the world, I would have 2 wooly sheep, one black and one white. Their names would be Lark and Mr. Munch and they would follow me anywhere and nibble the grass and have picnics with me on the lawn. I would make them each cheery checkered neckerchief and each spring they would let me shave their coats to make wooly yarn to dye pretty colors and make happy scarves and socks to share with friends.The end.

"if i go to sleep at nightknowing i have visited my imagination, however fleeting it may have been, then i know i have spent my day wisely"~ Tif

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all ramblings & pictures are copyrighted to moi & dottie angel ltd. if you wish to feature or pin my pictures then please be considerate & link them back to my blog. thanking you most kindly for being the bees knees & taking time to understand the importance of this matter